The Perils of Sibling-Rivary

Watching: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Reading: Relentless by Dean Koontz
Next on Reading List: Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane

My brother-in-law came to stay with us when I went into the hospital for my stomach surgery in July. He's still here. Not that it's a bad thing, or anything. It's kind of funny, except for the fact that it's a small apartment, and we now have 3 adults and 2 children living here. Hopefully Matt will be able to go stay with his mother soon, she lives alone in a 2 bedroom apartment. It is nice having him here, though. It gives me someone to talk to when I'm up all night. Plus he's been a great help with the kids. I'm still rebuilding my strength, after all. Last week I took out the trash and hurt my stomach. Luckily didn't get a hernia!

But what is on my mind, the reason for this post, is the sibling rivalry going on here. Our 8 year-old son and 15 month-old daughter don't annoy each other this much. Matt is 25, and Crystal will be an undisclosed age between 29 and 31 on September 9th. These two constantly flip each other off, Matt comes and sits down right up against Crystal--which for some reason creeps her out--they hit, slap, call each other names... it goes on and on. Then they fight about who started it. When they start the gross-out contest it gets bad. I found out how to end things, though. At least for a little while. When I've had enough, and they won't stop I say something like--now this is bad, so turn away now--"You secretly look at naked pictures of your mom." Or, "You like to go nude hot-tubbing with your mom." Not pretty, but it seems to work. If that seems bad, Matt likes to text Crystal pictures of his butt, and once, a turd in the toilet. I mistakenly thought we were adults, here.

Oh well, I guess they really love each other, because they sure as hell couldn't live in the same apartment this way if they didn't.

The Fire is Back

Listening to: Avenged Sevenfold
Reading: Relentless by Dean Koontz
Next in Reading List: Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane, then perhaps Floating Dragon by Peter Straub (Again)

So, after my story 'Jack Rainey and the Apocalypse Swarm' was accepted by Black Label Books for publication I noticed they publish novellas as well. I had a novel I was working on around November last year, 'Kept'. But it stalled around 27,000 words. There was no way I could extend it to a full-length novel. I am close to the ending, I expect it to finish out around 30,000-32,000 words. So, I've decided to make it a novella. After I finish the first draft (This coming week, hopefully), maybe get that beta-ed, get editing and rewrites completed, I have somewhere to sub it to.

I know other publications accept novellas, that was never the issue, but Black Label pubs in E-Book format, and I like that. Plus, they're great people to work with. Mad Props to Julie and Julia! And it's kind of a hard story to categorize. It's probably Dark Fiction. A short synopsis (on the fly, people, so it won't be great) is: A woman wakes to find she's been kidnapped. While she looks around the room she discovers she can see through one of the walls. She steps through the wall, and it's a portal to a whole other world. A world where women are controlled by a father-figure of evil proportions. Her husband, a ex-government assassin (unbeknownst to her) begins a fevered search for her, enlisting friends, one of whom has psychic abilities (unbeknownst to HER before this). A man who's brother the husband killed had paid for the kidnapping, but when the woman disappears everything gets weird, to say the least. Another kidnap victim, who also passed through the wall, and one of the cowed women from the other world make up the cast. It's a fun, scary, and intriguing story.

I can't wait to see how it ends. I'm happy that seeing Black Label pubs novellas relit the fire I once had for this story.

A Smelling Sheep-Worthy Post

I intended to post something worthy of my nomination by the I Smell Sheep Crew yesterday, but needed a little time to think. I'll start out with the craziest/funniest music video known to man. You'll be hard pressed to not roll your eyes and laugh till your gut hurts when you watch it. (Only the first 3 minutes are the actual video)
Scatterbrain Down with the Ship

Shepard's tip: To keep your sheep from running away during those 'special' moments, stick their hind legs in your boots...

Strange Men in Pinstripe Suits Award

I have been nominated by I Smell Sheep for the Strange Men in Pinstripe Suits Award. It is based on Cate Gardner's short story collection, 'Strange Men in Pinstripe Suits'. This collection is available for pre-order at a discount of $1.99 off the cover price. To help celebrate the release, Cate and Strange Publications have a contest, with two awesome prize packages to choose from. The Strange Men in Pinstripe Suits Award is given to only the strangest folk, and as the recipient of such you are deemed very strange indeed.

Congratulations.

Now for some rule-type stuff:

1. Add the logo of the award to your blog post.


2. Add a link to the person who nominated you. (Play fair, don't have all the links go back to your own post *wink*)


3. Nominate 7 other blogs, tell us wh you think they deserve the Strangness Award.


4. Leave a message for those nominated on their blogs.


5. And if you leave an e-mail for catephoenix(at)gmail(dot)com and tell her you've recieved the award for your strangeness, she'll enter you in the biggest, kick-ass Strange Men competition ever.

Details over at strangemeninpinstripesuits.com. (Click on the award logo on the home page.)

So now I must picky out 7 worthy friends for this. *scratches head...* *headdesk* *flips television channels to mind-numbing SpongeBob...* *HEADDESK*

Bettielee strange in a totally normal way ;-)

SLCBoston don't let the camels fool you, he's really a sheep :D

GypsyScarlett one of my first really good friends at Absolute Write

Melanie Avila Coolness and strangeness wrapped all up nicely and tied with a bow

FotsGreg need I say more?

LaurieD she's a crazy, rabbit skwirrel... ;P

Adam Slade a frosty customer ;-)

Now, let's all celebrate our strangeness, we're writers, after all... a strange bunch by nature.

Story Acceptance & Sobriety Update

My story "Jack Rainey and the Apocalypse Swarm" has officially been accepted, as of Saturday, by Black Label Books. Clicky on that, and check them out. Click on the "Like" tab at the top of the page. They're a really cool start-up publisher, and I'm really excited to be a part. Updates for my story will be coming soon. My friend Annie DuVall also has two stories, "Delicious," and "Sam" coming out from Black Label.

On Sunday I celebrated 4 years 11 months of sobriety. One more month and it will be 5 years. Such an accomplishment. I'm floating on air--never would have thought I'd be here!

So it was an exceptionally great weekend for me! Yay!

A Good Read. So Read It!

Listening to: Stevie Ray Vaughan
Reading: Relentless by Dean Koontz
Next on Reading List: Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane

Finally finished "Touched By an Alien" by my friend Gini Koch. Clicky, and check out her website, and then go out and buy the book! That's an order! Okay, it's a strong suggestion. :-)

Gini has somehow packed 500 pages worth of action into a 389 page book. That's not to say it is over-laden with the action, and forgets the story. Quite the opposite. This book is an eclectic mix of action, sexiness, pure romance, humor, and good-looking aliens and humans countered with fugly, evil parasitic aliens.

It's listed under 'Sci-Fi', which is a bit unusual for me to read. I write dark fiction and horror, and I read mainly the same. Not that I only read in those genres, but I read what I write as a rule. So I can honestly say my opinion of this book is not biased, not even by our friendship, or my ever-growing need to suck up (my friends at the 2010 Weekend Progress Report will understand that *wink*). It is just a really good book.

And her website (once again, clicky up above and check it out) was designed by LostGirl from Absolute Write, and is very cool, and chock-full of up-to-the-minute updates and info. Stop by, tell her I sent you, and stay for the coffee ;-)

How to Enjoy Life (or Random Mutterings Posted to Pass the Time)

Listening to: Iron Maiden (What else?)
Reading: Touched By an Alien by Gini Koch.
Next on Reading List: Relentless by Dean Koontz, then Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane


How do I enjoy life? That's simple, I think. I love being a stay-at-home Dad, watching my children grow and learn new things. It's the only benefit to beig disabled. I love my beautiful wife, who has been at my side through so much over the years. I love being a sober man. Nearly 5 years now. I write dark fiction and horror, play guitar, listen to music and watch tv and movies. And yes, I READ.

Sounds like a mundane existence. I admit freely to being too much of a couch potato. With the lung-removal last December I can't do all of the outdoor activities I once took pleasure in. That doesn't mean I'm an invalid by any means. I do housework, the laundry and dishes, I enjoy cooking, which I have a real talent for. Maybe one day I'll post some recipes here. I cook by way of instinct, so I generally don't have recipes written down, but I can probably come up with something.

So what does my recipe for enjoying life have to do with you? Simple, really. I could have easily taken my recent health problems differently. I've had 8 surgeries since July 30, 2007. I could be buried in a well of depression, to have given up on these things I enjoy. But I choose to smile, and keep an upbeat attitude about it. I'm still alive, after all.

So, how about you? Are you letting issues in life rob you of what you once found pleasure in? Does the daily grind get you down? Don't let it consume you. Find something you can dive into, put on a wetsuit and DIVE! If I can come back from more major surgery than I like to remember, and an 18 day coma, so can you. If you have difficulty doing some of the things you enjoy, adapt to something else you can find yourself immersed in. Even if it's writing a daily journal, updating a blog, writing a novel or short stories, putting a cd or movie in and relaxing--whatever you can find is right. As long as it's right for you. Get out there and enjoy life.

I do.